Taylor Casey
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat American Taylor Casey visited before she disappeared said she was not abducted from the site and that evidence suggests she left the retreat voluntarily.
The company said some of the claims by Ms Casey’s family about what retreats are are “false and defamatory and not based on facts”.
The 41-year-old’s disappearance was discovered on June 20 when she did not attend morning classes. She was last seen at the retreat late on the evening of June 19.
Her disappearance has attracted attention from the press in the United States, which has aired the claims of her relatives and friends.
Her mother, Colette Seymore, told NBC the retreat company struggled to maintain a cohesive narrative regarding her daughter’s disappearance and discouraged loved ones from talking to guests.
NBC’s story showed a photo of a tent taken by a relative of Ms Casey.
Peter Goudie, CEO of PGHR Consulting, said in a statement to The Tribune yesterday on behalf of the retreat company: “We are concerned that the story infers that Taylor Casey was abducted from the ashram. That is false and defamatory and not based on facts. The tent photo in the NBCU story taken by Ms Casey’s family shows no signs of struggle. Her toothbrush and personal care products were in the tent in the photo, indicating she was going to return. Her passport, items of clothing and purse were not in the tent photo indicating she took them with her, along with her phone.
“In summary, these facts –– all of which are within the NBCU story –– indicate Taylor left voluntarily. We also wish to point out that Taylor’s phone pinged in the water, as tracked on her niece’s iPhone app. There was no indication from that evidence she was ‘abducted’ as you reported. A simple question to the family regarding the iPhone tracking as to her whereabouts would have been a prudent inquiry. The police found the phone based on that app. This is all public information.
“The beach in front of the ashram is a public beach. The photos in the NBCU story show the beach. There are non-guests and members of the public that walk along that beach daily.”
The statement Ms Casey’s family and friends sent NBC claimed a retreat participant recalled that an unidentified man in a Celtics cap who claimed to be from Chicago approached Ms Casey and followed her on to the compound, expressing interest in yoga classes.
The retreat company said it followed up with the participant, and that person said they made a mistake identifying the man.
“The man is from Atlanta and was staying next door at the Atlantis Resort,” Mr Goudie said. “He was simply taking a stroll on the beach and was interested in knowing more about our yoga classes. We often have inquiries about the yoga retreat from the guests at Atlantis.
“The other individual described in your report was holding a walkie-talkie, and our best guess is that he is a security guard for one of our neighbours. He entered the ashram at about 2pm –– a time when our students were in class –– and stayed for a couple of minutes and left.”
Mr Goudie said the retreat company spent hours with police as officers explained the full extent of their investigation to the family, allowed the family to see the space Ms Casey occupied and the beach where she had been. The company claims it also spent hours answering the family’s questions.
Comments
IslandWarrior 5 months, 2 weeks ago
“false and defamatory and not based on facts.” Lawsuit!
TalRussell 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Far from Fyre Festival even though it could be seen as characterized by also offering a Tent sleeping-rough accommodation in that the Yoga Retreat are saying that Taylor Casey, ‘not taken from yoga retreat’ being her toothbrush and personal care products were captured in the Tent's photo, indicating Talyor was going to return. -- Whilst her passport, items of clothing and purse were not in the tent photo indicating she took them with her, along with her phone. -- But No Ironing worries as there is a communal Ironing Board. -- Can't make this up. -- Yes?
IslandWarrior 5 months, 2 weeks ago
I suppose if Taylor missed his return flight, it must be the airline's fault.
ThisIsOurs 5 months, 2 weeks ago
This is the first time I've heard anyone give a semi coherent account of the events surrounding the disappearance.
As to the passport and the crazy theories around it, it is inconceivable to me that someone could use their passport to leave the country and no customs, immigration, airline official has any trace of them. I'd say impossible. And if Taylor had planned some elaborate disappearance under a fake passport, some FBI agent would have been able to speak to unusual financial activity prior to arriving in the Bahamas. Planned disappearance is not cheap
IslandWarrior 5 months, 2 weeks ago
If you dismount your donkey and consider that 80% of the Bahamas comprises the ocean, you might develop a slightly different theory.
ThisIsOurs 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Are you asking me to get off your back?
So the new theory is Taylor flew to the Bahamas, absconded with her bag and passport in an attempt to flee an overbearing parent,. She then paid a smuggler for a ride on a high speed boat to try to enter the US illegally? Or do you think she headed south to Cuba? Cuba doesnt play with illegal migrants, yuh lock up! Or maybe she's on one of the family islands where news of an outsider walking around travels faster than the speed of light
IslandWarrior 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Numbers 22:21-39 New International Version
Balaam’s Donkey
birdiestrachan 5 months, 2 weeks ago
There are many missing in the Bahamas it is to bad they do not get the same attention. The passport is not missing it means something
TalRussell 5 months, 2 weeks ago
"Papa" Hubert Ingraham's arithmetic was not jivin' to that of the colony's authorities who had put the death toll from the devastating Category 5 storm at 50 so far. -- "Papa" had fretted there could be in the hundreds of the deaded in and about the Abaco's. -- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 5 months, 2 weeks ago
I lost someone once. I always heard from them when they got home from work, no long talk just I'm home, are you ok etc. One day 6PM came 7PM came 8PM came and nothing. I picked up the phone called their parents, their cousin, I called police head quarters, I called Road Traffic, were any accidents reported with this type of vehicle? I called both hospital ERs, did a person with this name or description come in.
When they resurfaced a little after 8PM, they was so mad at me for making a fuss but I did not care. They were alive. Theyd gone missing and I wanted people to take this seriously, this wasnt their normal behaviour. Luckily, I was wrong.
I've also lost someone and turned out to be right about my instinct. I did the exact same thing.
This is what people who love people do. This is what parents do every night when the child goes out to the club. Nothing as annoying as considering yourself a newly elevated grown up, you can cross the road by yourself right? and coming home and seeing your parents up and waiting for you. But that is what they do.
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